Practice building: attracting and retaining a solid patient base.

Once you’ve established your practice, the next step is attracting and retaining a solid patient base. While the previous entry helped you build a solid foundation, this second installment of our three-part series explores how you can start growing your dental practice success by focusing on patient retention and satisfaction.

Effective Marketing Strategies

Today, establishing a strong online presence is essential for dental practice success. The simple fact of the matter is that almost all patients across nearly every demographic find their dentists online. If you aren’t competitive in the online space, you may struggle to grow and maintain your patient base.

Your website is an important element of your digital marketing strategy. And when you’re designing that website, search engine optimization (SEO) is a vital area for you to tackle. 

While there are plenty of resources to learn SEO for dentists, you might consider working with a professional agency for your website. There are both content and technical factors to deal with when you’re looking to improve rankings, and your time may be better spent focusing on patients.

The basics of SEO include incorporating keywords that your patients are likely to search for. In particular, local SEO is essential for dental practice success because your potential patients are in a specific geographic area. Creating a dental blog on your website is another effective strategy, as it lets you target a wide range of keywords.

You can’t overlook the importance of social media marketing for dentists, either. It provides opportunities to reach a broader range of demographics, along with driving meaningful engagement. You can use social media to share news with your patients and ensure that your practice has the widest possible reach.

Of course, there are many other ways to improve your reputation in the community, too. Participating in local events and sponsorships can have an incredible return on investment. As a dentist, you’re also positioned to provide vital services to the community through free dental health initiatives and other charitable endeavors.

Enhancing Patient Experience

Attracting patients in the first place is vital for growing your practice, but so is retaining the patients you currently have. The patient experience is a major factor in keeping patients coming back, and you should take deliberate steps to understand and improve that experience.

The customer service you and your team provide is a key part of the patient experience. You need to make sure that you’re communicating effectively with patients and treating them with empathy. There are also practical aspects to address in this area, such as implementing efficient appointment scheduling and follow-up.

The state of your office environment is important as well. You should create a welcoming and comfortable office environment to improve the patient experience. Ensure that the space is clean and well-maintained, and consider investing in appealing modern decor.

The comfort of your patients will also have a major impact on their overall experience. Simple steps such as providing comfortable waiting room furniture can make a big difference. Implementing amenities such as Wi-Fi, TV, or music helps, too.

Of course, treatment itself plays a role. You can consider expanding your treatment capabilities and procedures available through orthodontic courses or other specializations. Patients will be happier when they can find everything they need under one roof.

Patient Retention Tactics

Patient retention is something you should tackle with a deliberate strategy. The specific approach depends largely on the demographic and general dentistry and orthodontics services you offer. However, there are some general tips you can follow to achieve dental practice success.

Loyalty programs and referrals are a simple strategy that can have big returns. Provide rewards for patients who keep up with routine appointments, and consider implementing discounts or special offers for referrals.

Having a solid follow-up program in place is another crucial strategy for patient retention. Ideally, you should automate notifications related to upcoming appointments. 

Try to schedule the next regular checkup as early as possible with email or text reminders. You can also use the same system to send out holiday greetings to keep your practice in your patients’ minds.

The quality of care you provide will additionally determine whether your patients stick with you. Providing personalized care focused on understanding their unique needs and offering the best outcomes goes a long way. Patient-focused care is exactly what your patients are looking for when choosing a dentist.

Establishing Your Long-Term Patient Base

Taking the right approach to patient experience and retention will provide you with a lasting foundation for dental practice success. You can learn from colleagues who have gone through the same process you’re dealing with today by joining the American Orthodontic Society. Become a member today to join our network, and check in soon for the final entry in our three-part series.